Today we’d like to introduce you to Gabi Magaly.
So, before we jump into specific questions, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I always loved making art since I was a young girl, but I didn’t take it seriously until I was in an early college high school and professor Hext told me that I really have an eye for art. That I should consider majoring in studio art in college. Which I didn’t know was even an option because I was always told to go to school business or history. When I got accepted into Sam Houston I was so excited because I became the first in the family to go to college and that was really nerve wracking to have all that weight on my shoulders. Going to art school was life-changing because I thought I knew art and nope I wasn’t even close. It was a challenge for me because I only took four art classes in high school and now I’m taking three art classes every semester.
So my creative side was really worked for three and a half years. My photography Professor Becky saw something in me and really encouraged to go get my Master’s in Fine Arts. That was more stressful for me then applying for undergrad because I had to send a portfolio of my art and be judged if I was good enough to be in their art program. I eventually did get into grad school at the University of Texas at San Antonio. Going to grad has shaped into the artist I’ve been wanting to be for so long but didn’t know how to get there. I finally found my voice after being told to be quiet for so long in making art. Since being in grad school, this has launched my art career way faster than I ever thought. I didn’t think I was going to be in the many shows that I have been in. Also that I would be given the opportunity to be a professor at the age of 25. This journey has taken many years and more rejects than I can remember. But I learned to get backup and yes I did get bummed out but I didn’t let that discourage in making better art. I’m currently entering my thesis year in grad school, it’s bittersweet to leave such a great community at UTSA, but I’m excited to see where I go with my art when I graduate in May 2020.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
It hasn’t been a smooth road for me because some family and teachers really didn’t want me to waste my time going to school for art. Cause they know there isn’t a guaranteed in making any money in the end. And me being the first in college, they were really against it. But I had to think about myself and be selfish because at the end of the day I don’t want to be living someone else’s life. It does get hard when your told by your loves to forget about your passion and dreams, to just get a job that will make you money instead of being happy. It did take me many years to be sure that being an artist was what I wanted to do in life because you are constantly getting knocked down by galleries telling you “not this time maybe next time.” But having my mom next to me is a huge reason why I’ve kept going because everytime I call her with good news that got into a show, she always says “ Remember when I told you to have a back up plan to being an artist, well mija, you don’t need a backup plan because your passion is fueling your dreams and making them come true.” Being an artist you have to surround yourself with a good support team that believes in your passion. It took me coming to grad to find that support team but they have to challenge you into making better artwork.
We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
Growing up in a Mexican-American household, my childhood was saturated with the machismo and marianismo culture. Hypermasculinity oozed brutality, control, and bad cologne. Placated and tongue biting woman doesn’t speak up, act up, and always has rice and tortillas on the table at precisely six o’clock. Daughters are being raised to submit to men, are being taught to fetishize purity and holiness. We’re expected to feed stomachs, ego, and taste for violence. With my work, I am draw from my experience within this toxic culture, and providing a call to action. For the women who don’t have a voice to feel empowered, and for the men with a little too much to say to be softened.
The imagery I use within my work reference the everyday accessible household items that are traditionally associated with my Mexican household: Fiesta spices, Fideo, prayer cards, candles, blankets, and tortillas. With these items, I want them to be culturally and physically accessible. A visual language usually reserved for Abuela’s kitchen and living room is transformed into defiance, empowerment, and hopefully change. My blankets reference Catholic Saints and bible stories I heard growing up, with a critical view of women who were told not to own their sexuality and to not question theses religious saints. My self-portraits reproduce a modern day version of saints using my own image as all the saints.
As a child, I was told to look up to saints that never looked like me, all of them were fair-skinned with blue eyes none of them had brown skin with brown eyes. By reproducing them with brown skin, I am creating a more relatable representation that is more inclusive. As we look towards the future, my work encourages women in my culture to find the strength to forget about the old traditions and raise their daughters independently.
Do you recommend any apps, books or podcasts that have been helpful to you?
Art 21 is the big source where I go when I want to see what’s going on in the art world. I like the library’s art section and dive into books to see what I can find. Some of the books are, “Carrie Mae Weems: Three decades of photography and video” by Kathryn E Delmez, “Our Lady Of Controversy: Alma Lopez’s “Irreverent Apparition”” by Alicia Gaspar de Alba. “Radical Women: Latin American art, 1960-1985” by Cecilia Fajardo-Hill. That’s just some of them that are the top of the list.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.gabimagaly.com
- Email: gabi.magaly93@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gabimagaly/?hl=en
Image Credit:
Gabi Magaly
Suggest a story: VoyageHouston is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
